Lesson 3
Negative Numbers
Real values of less than nothing
Page 118
Of course, using our new definition
b − n = (1)/(bn)
we can write
(1)/(8) = (1)/(23) = 2 − 3.
Now, since
16 = 24
and
(1)/(8) = 2 − 3
as we have just seen, our problem can be rewrittenas follows:
16 × (1)/(8) = (24)(2 − 3).
Now, applying the rule for multiplying two powers of the same number, (bm)(bn) = b(m + n) what result do we get?
Answer to Self-Test Question 11, Lesson 3 :
